Traffic Discipline .

I have written a letter to our Cabinet Minister for Transport and Rural Development Mr Nitin Gadkari,on the above subject for his consideration .

What I have written is as follows :-

Respected Sir ,

From your announcements about installing cctv cameras on traffic crossings to catch drivers jumping the red light and enhancements of fines etc  clearly indicate that as a Transport Minister you are really concerned about the road accidents and serious in improving the traffic discipline in the country .

  

 Here are my suggestions for improving overall situation  and traffic discipline  , which you in your capacity as a Cabinet Minister in Central Government are in a position to consider and implement.:

1. Permit every traffic policeman, irrespective of his rank ,  to raise challans & collect fines for traffic violations.

2. Make Rules , Regulations , enact laws , whatever is necessary ,  whereby an amount  equal to 25% of the total  fines collected by traffic policemen for traffic violations  and deposited in Government Treasury , is credited in the personal pay packet of the concerned policeman. 

3.Educate every child from KG onward about traffic rules and also inculcate discipline and civic sense  

Reasoning and logic for these suggestions are :

1. To the best of my knowledge , presently only traffic police of the rank of Havaldar can raise challans for fines related to offences of traffic violations . Number of Havaldars are very few considering quantum jump in traffic. Traffic rules violators go scot-free as there are no Havaldars to catch violators or impose fines . There are only 300 traffic Havaldars in whole of Mumbai . Only couple of days back Maharashtra High Court had pulled up Maharashtra Government for not authorising police constables to raise and collect the fines , even though the proposal for this has been pending with the Government for more than 3 - 4 years.  

2. Even with enhanced and stiffer fines people are just not bothered or scared about violating traffic rules as they are not caught due to shortages of traffic police or if caught , they offer fraction of the fine amount as bribe and go about committing another traffic violation . Authorising every traffic police  / police man will , to great extent , overcome the man power shortage problem . If rules permit for 25% of the fine amount to be credited in the personal pay of the concerned policeman , it  will eliminate corruption completely . Policeman  will also welcome this legitimate increase in their pay which has no attached guilt feeling or fear of getting caught while accepting bribe. This positive development will motivate the policeman to such an extent that the number of people getting away with traffic violation will reduce to barest minimum . Gradually following traffic rules to avoid getting caught and paying fines will develop in to habit. Thus gradually a society will come about which will follow the rules . 

 Group Captain PM Velankar,VM ( retd)